Daanius Aas, Hiis

Daanius Aas, head chef at Hiis in Harju maakond, Estonia, how do you incorporate foraging into your menu?

– Nearly every dish we create contains something we’ve foraged ourselves. Along the way, I’ve learned that there is so much untapped potential in our surroundings that we’re not yet using. We want to preserve plant diversity and minimize the disturbance to our ecosystems. We leave nature exactly as we found it, and if an ingredient is scarce, we simply choose to let it be.

You have a forager on your team, how did she get that position?

– Encouraging personal growth and development within our team has been with us since day one. Geete Talas started in an admin role, but her interest in foraging led her to become our head of forager, and also head of service. We allowed her to pursue her ambitions, and it’s been rewarding for everyone.

How is waste management part of your circular philosophy?

– We handle waste sustainably by dividing it into two categories. Most vegetable waste is composted to enrich our gardens and flowerbeds, avoiding chemicals in our growth and cultivation. Some vegetable scraps also feed our highland cows. Meat leftovers are returned to nature at the “Sacrifice Stone,” a secluded area within the Taju Journey compound where wildlife can benefit. This ensures waste is responsibly reintegrated into the ecosystem.

Photo: Johannes Hõimoja